Monrovia –The Bible Society in Liberia (BSL) an agency that ensures that the Scriptures are available, accessible and affordable to all Liberians has dedicated its new Bible House building on 11th Street, Sinkor, Monrovia.
Report by J.H. Webster Clayeh – [email protected]
The dedication which took place Wednesday brought together many clergy men including government officials both from the executive and the legislative branches of the country.
Giving the history of the BSL, the Executive Secretary of the Bible Society in Liberia, Paul Stevens, said over the years the Bible Society in Liberia has made a lot of impact by translating the Bible into 11 of the 16 local dialects in the country.
Steven said: “Today, we come to another historical event, the dedication of the Bible House. This building, after years of struggle, loaning from banks and financial agencies and institution, we open out and developed something and today we have this modern building”.
Visiting Liberia for the first time, the General Secretary of Bible Society in Ghana Rev. Dr. Erasmus Odonkor said because of the work of Bible, he feels excited being in the country for the first time.
Rev. Odonkor said: “The whole of Africa is excited because of what is happening today. Everyone is impressive because of the stride that you are making as Bible Society in Liberia”.
He added that Bible Society everywhere is not a church but rather work with all Bible believing churches.
“That is why on this occasion I want to encourage the leadership here, bishops, apostles and all those who are in charge of churches whether big or small to see the Bible Society of Liberia as a partner because through the work of the Bible Society in Liberia we are going to make the Bible available to everyone in their own prefer,” he said.
He added: “That is how we are partnering with the churches on the continent of Africa to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ so that every soul will come to hear the good news and life will also be transformed”.
Also speaking, District #9 Representative of Montserrado County Munah Youngblood said with a passion of being a celebrity, after one of her many competitions she decided to visit the Monrovia Central Prison and identify with the inmates.
According to her, she was deciding what to take to the inmates and someone directed her to the Bible Society in Liberia office.
Rep. Youngblood said: “Not only did I get the Bible I wanted but I did not pay for it for the fact that I wanted to identify with the inmates. And so I got free bible and that year I was able visit people in the prison compound donating Bibles and other supplies to them (the prisoners)”.
Representing President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the Minister of States for Presidential Affair Sylvester Grigsby said the newly constructed Bible House shows that the word of God is not only spreading through the country but it is succeeding in the country.
The Minister of States for Presidential said: “Thank you very much and I want to commend you all and I will report to the President the kind of work that you are doing here”.
Kenneth Best, owner of the Daily Observer newspaper called on media houses in the country to promote the Bible Society in Liberia in order for it to reach its objectives goals.
“I call on my colleagues in the media to do all they can to support the Bible Society in Liberia by covering its activities, publicize it work, so that the Liberian public will appreciate more and more what this great institution, the Bible Society in Liberia is doing in the country,” Best assert.